Time to get your house smelling fresh and clean for holiday company? Nose Offense, one of my favorite odor eliminators, is offering a special discount just for Moderncat readers! Use the coupon code modcat20 at checkout when purchasing any Nose Offense product at noseoffense.com and get 20% off your entire order. Coupon expires December 3, 2011.

Nose Offense is a non-toxic fragrance-free odor eliminator that doesn’t mask odors, if neutralizes them, and it really works! It is eco-friendly and totally pet safe. You can read more about Nose Offense at noseoffense.com.

Celebrate Earth Day with a special discount on Clean + Green natural odor and stain elimination products! Take 50% off your entire order from the Clean + Green online store now through April 30. Just use promo code EARTHDAY at checkout. As an added bonus, any order of $30 or more (after discount) qualifies for free shipping!

What cat lover doesn’t have a lint roller in every room of the house? Well, here’s a fun twist on the standard old roller. This one from 3M Petcare has a handle shaped like a whimsical white cat. Her name is Fluffy and she holds a roll of 60 super-sticky sheets for keeping your furniture and clothing fur-free.

Earlier this year I told you about a great line of all natural odor elimination and cleaning products from Clean+Green. I’ve been using these products and am still quite impressed with their effectiveness, plus I love that they are all natural and safe for cats. The folks at Clean+Green were so pleased with all the nice comments on the last giveaway that they have upped the ante. This time FIVE lucky winners are each going to receive a 1-year supply of their favorite Clean+Green products! That’s a lot of odor elimination!

Each winner will get to choose four of the Clean+Green products. One of each product (4 cans) will be shipped quarterly to the winners. That’s a total of 16 cans for the year with a $160 retail value. If that doesn’t get the stink out, I’m not sure what will!

ENTER TO WIN! FIVE WINNERS!

To enter the giveaway, please leave a comment on this post telling us which products you’d be most interested in trying. The winners will be chosen in a random drawing on June 28. One entry per person. This giveaway is limited to addresses in the US and Canada.

Cat owners are always on the look out for good odor elimination products, and I’ve tried all sorts of them. I have several favorites, each for different applications. I still stand by Odorzoutgranules for big jobs. Just sprinkle this on the carpet and let it sit for a while, then vacuum and no more smell! But if you don’t have time for that, here is my new favorite product: Zero Odor.

I was first intrigued by this product when I watched the incredibly convincing video below in which real people stop scooping their litter boxes for a few days, then bring the dirty boxes into the video studio. The results are overwhelming — so good, it made me skeptical, so I had to try it for myself.

I emailed the company and they sent me a sample to test, and WOW! I am so impressed! Seriously! It’s every bit as good as I had hoped! I now keep a bottle of this stuff in every room and if someone is coming over to visit, everything gets sprayed.

Zero Odor works on the molecular level. Apparently, that means the product encapsulates the odor molecules and destroys them, instead of just masking the odor. The company claims to have conducted rigorous testing that shows zero measures of toxicity and dermal irritation. The product is completely non-toxic and biodegradable.

There is a slight scent when you first spray Zero Odor, and the label says that there is a “tracer fragrance” in the formula. I’m guessing this is added so you will notice that something has been sprayed. After a few minutes, the fragrance — along with all odors — is completely gone. Completely! There is absolutely no smell at all. It really is amazing.

Watch this video if you’re not convinced (if you can’t see the video below in your email, click here to watch it on the site):

You can get a combo pack of Zero Odor on the Zero Odor website for $19.95 or $29.95, or you can get just one bottle to see if you like it at Amazon for $12.99.

I’m always looking for new additions to my arsenal of stain- and odor-fighting products, especially products that are non-toxic and earth-friendly. The folks at Clean+Green sent me some of their odor-eliminating & stain-removing cat products to test, and I’m very pleased with the results. These are excellent weapons in the war against stink and stain.

The Clean+Green product line offers several types of all natural, non-toxic and pet-safe cleaners and odor removers. Choose from concrete & grout, furniture refresher, wood & tile, carpet & upholstery, or litter box products. When you spray the product on the odor source, the odor is encapsulated and then biodegrades. These are not just fragrance sprays that mask the odor, in fact there is no fragrance at all, the odor is completely eliminated.

The products also work as stain removers. I used the carpet & upholstery cleaner to spray a little “accident” someone left on the floor and the spot came out completely and much more easily than if it had been untreated.

The best part is that the entire line of Clean+Green products is biodegradable, water soluble, and ozone safe. That means safe for you, safe for your cat, and safe for the planet!

ENTER TO WIN!

Want to try the Clean+Green products for yourself? Here’s your chance to win a prize package including the following cat products:

Carpet & Upholstery Cleaner, Odor Eliminator & Stain Remover

Furniture Refresher

Litter Box Odor Eliminator & Cleaner

To enter, please leave a comment on this post. The winner will be chosen in a random drawing on February 15 and notified via email. One entry per person. This giveaway is limited to addresses in the US and Canada.

So, I went to reach for the water dish the other day, when I noticed that the dry food bowl was CRAWLING with ants! Countless ants! They cropped up in just a few hours. This is my first ant problem since moving into my condo, so I started investigating products that might help. I’ve heard people mention Sevin Dust for insect control around animals, but after just a little research I found several anecdotes about pets getting serious skin irritation or becoming very sick from it. It turns out that the active ingredient in Sevin Dust, carbaryl, is a neurotoxin and suspected carcinogen. So that was ruled out.

Then I came across this Poison Free Ant & Roach Killer. It’s a patented poison-free formula that controls ants, roaches and other crawling insects using all natural, food-grade mint oil. It is safe for use around children and pets and for use in the kitchen. It works instantly and is supposed to stay active for up to 4 weeks. Plus, the water-based aerosol contains no CFCs or other ozone depleting substances. It sounds too good to be true!

I just sprayed it all around the kitchen, plus I used it on the fire ants that have been appearing on the catio. It has a wonderful fresh mint smell and the cats are not bothered by it at all. Catnip is a member of the mint family, so I guess that makes sense.

Every cat owner fights the constant battle against odor. I have tried everything on the market to eliminate odors from carpets, furniture, fabrics, litter boxes, etc. and finally I found Odorzout. This is a product that I am totally addicted to, which is why I was so excited when I met Dr. Stink himself at a recent Pet Expo. I was even more excited when I found out that Odorzout is based right here in Phoenix, so I made an appointment to head over there and talk to Dr. Stink about just why Odorzout is so great.

I arrived at the Odorzout headquarters to find an impeccable facility. This photo is of the assembly line where the products are packaged and prepared for sale. Odorzout is made from a special blend of Zeolites, which are all-natural, non-toxic minerals that absorb and eliminate unpleasant odors. Dr. Stink explained that each of the products in the Odorzout line uses a special combination of Zeolites that are optimized for a specific use. The products include:

All Surface Granules – Great for use on carpets, furniture, bedding, carriers, etc.

Cat Litter Additive – For use in the litter box and can also be used directly on a pet

Laundry Additive Powder - Toss some in with your laundry to remove odors while washing

Pet Pouches – A convenient way to keep an area or even a gym bag fresh between application of the other products

During my visit, I told Dr. Stink about a recent experience I had with the Odorzout products. I’ve been having a little problem with my senior kitty urinating on the carpet. I Spot Bot almost daily and every so often I pull out the deep cleaning machine. After a deep clean, the odor is particularly strong, because deposits in the carpet are stirred-up and now the entire carpet is damp. This time, even after the carpet dried fully, the odor was especially bad. I sprinkled the Cat All Surface Granules on the area and literally, within minutes, the odor was gone. Not masked by flowers or other fragrance, truly gone. Dr. Stink explained that Zeolites don’t mask odors like most other products, they actually absorb and eliminate the stink. That is why the products are packaged as powders or granules — the more surface area exposed to the odor, the faster it will be absorbed.

My big question about the products was “are they safe?” I was very pleased to find out that Zeolite minerals are 100% safe for pets and people, too. If your cat licks the mineral off their fur it is completely safe. Not only are Odorzout products safe, but they also received the US Environmental Protection Agency’s Design for the Environment Seal of Approval and they are the ONLY “All Natural Mineral” Odor Eliminating products approved to carry this seal. The seal officially acknowledges that Odorzout products are environmentally safe and that they adhere to strict partner guidelines that encourage the formulation of products with environmentally preferred chemistry. Odorzout was selected to receive the seal because the products’ blend of natural Zeolite minerals exhibits a more positive effect on the environment than conventional odor removers.

Odorzout products come in 30 oz bottles, as well as 1-gallon, 2-gallon, and 5-gallon buckets. One bottle will last you a very long time. Just a sprinkle in the litter box or a teaspoon in the laundry will do the trick. Check the Odorzout website to find a retailer near you or order online.

ODORZOUT GIVEAWAY!

Here’s your chance to try it yourself! The folks at Odorzout are giving one lucky winner a whole “cat package” including Cat All Surface Granules, Cat Litter Additive, Laundry Additive Powder, and a Pet Pouch. To enter, please leave a comment on this post and tell us which room in your house needs Odorzout the most. All entries must be received by midnight on Friday, November 14. The winner will be selected in a random drawing on Saturday.

I finally went out today and purchased the Bissell SpotBot Pet, and I have to say I LOVE THIS THING!! I live in a relatively small condo with four cats and wall-to-wall white carpet that I had specially imported from Italy. The day I had the carpet installed, I knew it would only be a matter of time and, of course, within 24 hours the urping began. It is my own fault for wanting white carpet. I have found some relief, first by switching their food to Pet Promise which is free from dark colored dyes like many other cat foods, plus it’s all-natural and much better for them, and second, by using the Furminator regularly to reduce shedding and hairballs. Alas, I have still needed the Cat Vomit Signs many times.

The SpotBot is a “hands-free” carpet spot cleaner. You simply set it down on a stain, press a button, and walk away. The machine dispenses cleaning solution, scrubs the carpet with a brush, and suctions up the stain. I personally would rather be blogging than scrubbing my carpet, so this is a great thing. There are two cycles, one for lighter stains that takes 3 minutes, and another for set-in stains that takes 6 minutes. The SpotBot also has a hand-held hose for manual cleaning, when necessary.

I found it very easy to fill the SpotBot with formula and equally easy to empty the dirty water. It really does an excellent job of lifting the stain. The only drawback is that it uses a lot of cleaning formula. Actually, almost enough that they should give you the machine for free because of how much you are going to spend on formula! Kind of like an ink jet printer. But seriously, it feels like a sturdy, well-built machine and the controls are well-designed, so it’s worth the investment. The SpotBot is the perfect solution for dealing with little stains without needing to get out the big steam cleaner and clean the whole floor.

Bissell sells both the SpotBot and the SpotBot Pet. The only difference I can see is that the SpotBot Pet comes packaged with the pet stain cleaning formula instead of the regular formula. Both machines seem to work exactly the same and they are the same price.